General Tso’s Chicken

General Tso’s Chicken is my husband Andrew’s absolute favorite Chinese dish. In fact when Andrew and I go out to a Chinese restaurant he doesn’t even have to look at the menu. He always orders the General Tso’s Chicken and Hot and Sour Soup. At almost every Chinese buffet or take-out you will find General Tso’s Chicken on the menu. But would you be surprised to know that this take-out staple is super easy to make in your own kitchen? Ever since I found this recipe a few months ago, Andrew has been bugging to me to try it out. So last week after a long day of work, he came home to a whole Chinese spread to devour. This homemade version of General Tso’s Chicken was absolutely fabulous! The chicken was moist, tender and packed with flavor from the marinade. Fried to crispy golden perfection and tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce, this recipe won’t disappoint! Serve over Jasmine rice alongside some pot stickers or egg rolls.

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine hoisin, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch and water in a bowl. Transfer 6 tablespoons of this mixture in a ziptop storage bag and add the chicken; refrigerate for 30 minutes. Set aside the remaining mixture.
While the chicken is marinating, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Sauté the garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 2 cups of the hoisin mixture and simmer, whisking constantly, until the mixture is dark brown and thickened. Remove from heat, cover.
To prepare the chicken for coating and frying, in a shallow bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy; set aside.
In a second shallow dish, combine the cornstarch, flour, baking soda, and remaining hoisin marinade; mix until it resembles coarse meal.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet; set aside. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat until the oil registers 350 degrees.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Toss half the chicken into the egg whites until well coated, then dredge the chicken in the cornstarch mixture, pressing to adhere. Transfer the coated chicken to a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.
Fry half the chicken until golden brown, about 3 minutes, turning each piece halfway through cooking. Transfer chicken to prepared baking sheet and place in oven. Bring oil back to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining chicken pieces.
Rewarm the sauce over medium heat until simmering add the fried chicken pieces, tossing to coat. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.

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26 Responses to “General Tso’s Chicken”

Wow, this looks amazing! Whenever my family orders Chinese food, without fail someone (at least one!) orders General Tso’s. It’s a real family favorite- they will be so excited when I make a home made version! Bookmarking this recipe.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you! Like your husband, General Tso’s chicken is my absolute favorite Chinese dinner and I always order it. And every time I don’t, I end up disappointed. I will definitely be making this. Can’t wait!

Wow this looks incredible! I would definitely think this came from a Chinese take out place. And thank you, thank you! This is my boyfriends fav of the Chinese take out. Definitely trying this recipe out.

Love, love, LOVE this recipe. Easy, tasty, quick – better than takeout. So now I’ve spoiled my husband for yet another cuisine. I made it last night – used coconut oil to fry the chicken pieces in, added some red pepper chunks and sliced snap peas to the sauce for colour. Fabulous taste! Thanks.

OK guys, so I made this for dinner last night and it was AMAZING! Now, I made quite a mess doing it but it was soooo worth it. General Tso’s is my boyfriends favorite. This recipe tastes and looks just like Chinese take out! This is the new favorite around here.

I had General Tso’s Chicken for the first time last winter and my mouth waters every time I hear the name. Your photos look incredible! I am so tempted to make this for dinner this week. I’m glad I found this! (I “Stumbled Upon” it!)

I LOVE this! It was labor intensive, but well worth the effort. It tasted waaaayyyy better than any take-out I’ve ever had. I used a regular pot, since I don’t have a Dutch oven. Worked just as well. This is a once a month treat, since I don’t eat much fried food. Maybe a baked version??

I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe! General Tso’s is one of my favorite dishes so I make it all the time. Sometimes I do not fry the chicken but just stir-fry it in a little bit of the marinade and it still turns out great! Thanks so much for letting me know how it turned out for you!